1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of containers. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a cup lid or can lid with integrated container that enables, for example, simultaneous or intermittent access to the contents of the container and attached cup without disengagement of the cup lid from the cup or can. Additionally, an independent drop-in container may reside within the cup or can lid cavity such that, after partially consuming the contents of the independent drop-in container, it may be resealed with an additional lid, removed from the lid cavity and transported to another location such as a car or home.
2. Description of the Related Art
Standard cup lids are simple covers that do not include an integrated container. Rather, known lids cover the contents of a cup which forms a closed container in combination with the cup itself. Known containers that couple with cups include food containers that fit onto the top of yogurt cups, for example. Known containers have to be removed from the yogurt cup and then flipped over and opened before the contents of the container and cup may be accessed. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the cup while also accessing the contents of the container without first disengaging the container from the cup. Additionally, food containers that attach to yogurt cups in an upside-down position have a limited food-volume capacity. In such cases, as the yogurt example shows, the food-container walls narrow as they proceed upward toward the bottom of the upside-down container. Other known devices having a container or shelf combined with a lid have limitations, which make these devices impractical to use. One category of devices includes a container combined with a cup, but utilizes a hole in the middle of the lid. This makes it impossible to store in the container relatively circular items, i.e., non-ring or non-annular items having no central hole, such as hamburgers, cookies or muffins, for example. Another category of device includes a container combined with a lid, but does not allow for simultaneous access of the contents of the cup and the container at the same time, and does not allow for the container to be resealed or for a drop-in container to be removed from the container. Other devices that include drop-in functionality require removal of the container before accessing the contents of the cup. Yet these devices do not contemplate a drop-in container that is configured to fit into the armrest of a movie theater seat. Other devices have relatively small peel containers for pills such as mints and are not suitable for larger food items. Another category of devices utilizes dividers in the cup with access on each side of the cup. None of the known devices enable a container to be disengaged from the lid of the cup while retaining the lower lid on the cup. No known devices have a non-permanent or male/female bottom-oriented coupling system for coupling a container with the lid. Furthermore, there are no known rotational covers that enable or disable access to the liquid and/or solid in the cup or can as desired by the user while still allowing the user to access the first solid or liquid in the lid container.
Known containers that couple with bottles include gift containers that fit onto the top of bottles, for example. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the bottle while also accessing the contents of the gift container without disengaging the gift container from the bottle and then disengaging the lid of the bottle.
Thus simultaneous or intermittent access to the contents of known cups, bottles or cans and to the contents of an attached container is not practical for at least the reasons listed above. This makes for difficult drinking/eating of coffee, soda, snacks, popcorn, etc., in malls, fast food restaurants, theaters, amusement parks, sports stadiums or in any other venue. For example, this makes it difficult to eat and drink food in a theater or stadium with one cup holder per seat.
For at least the limitations described above, there is a need for a lid with an integrated container.